Un-Coordinated?

Who will be trying to fill Weis' and Crennel's shoes in 2010?

Think back to February of 2005. Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, and Bill Belichick gathered in a celebratory embrace. A knowing look reveals that this will be the last time that all three of them will be on the same staff.

Crennel and Weis have subsequently moved through Cleveland and South Bend, respectively, to join the Foxboro West contingent in Kansas City, while Belichick is still looking for the right coaching mix to regain the Patriot’s Super Bowl form.

The Patriots have been without an officially named offensive coordinator since Josh McDaniels took the head-coaching job in Denver. Dean Pees left the team this winter, and no defensive coordinator has been named to replace him as of yet.

When asked yesterday about how things were going during OTA’s without coordinators, Belichick stated, “We’ve done what we’ve done. I think we’ve got a lot of work to do all the way around.” (full transcript here) Reading between the lines, I don’t think Bill is losing any sleep over not having named his coordinators.

While the names Matt Patricia (LB Coach) and Pepper Johnson (DL) have been thrown around, most expect Belichick to be the default DC in 2010. However, the name most often bandied about to be named offensive coordinator is current QB coach Bill O’Brien. The former Brown U defensive end/linebacker seems to be following the career path of McDaniels, going from QB coach, to QB coach with coordinator-esque responsibilities, to… something.

That said, O’Brien paints a slightly different picture. “I’m coaching the quarterbacks,” O’Brien said. “And it’s a collaborative effort with the other assistants — Dante (Scarnecchia), Ivan (Fears), Brian (Ferentz), Chad (O’Shea), Brian Flores, and obviously Bill (Belichick). We all work together and just try to determine what we have out there offensively and go to practice every day, try to accomplish certain goals every day, and that’s what we try to do. So, the role hasn’t changed.”

It will be very interesting to see if O’Brien will be calling the plays this year, and if not, what the initials on that hooded sweatshirt will read.

10 Responses to “Un-Coordinated?”

Time…when the last guy in your shoes was a 26 yr old nobody turned an offense into the highest scoring ever, then won 11 games with Mr.-no start since high school…Time is something your boss might be nice enough to grant you, but fans and the media wont.

As far as coaching goes, i have faith in the “teaching”-type coaches on the roster. But I think the Pats lack strong voices at the coordinator positions, both of them, but nore-so on offense. In BB I trust, but a voice like Charlies’, who would rip into Brady, or not always agree with Bill, is missed. My biggest problem with the coaches the last two seasons…was the lack of imagination on defense, Mr.Peas. No way to know how much of that was Bills’ call’ or Deans’ call, but neither ever called to mix it up. I felt the last two years, the talent hasn’t been good enough on D to line-up and play the game the same way they used to. hopefully with Peas’ departure, we will be seeing some different looks. On offense, tough year for O’Brien last year in my opinion, but for different reasons… I dont think with the lack of talent last year at TE and RB, that O’Brien could have been much more creative than he was. My beef is with the execution part of things. In his first year, you expect there to be some bad timeouts, but waaay to many last year. Out of all of the Pats weaknesses last year, offensive execution in the second half, was their achilles heal in most of their losses.

I think as Boston fans we are very hard on our coaches, last year could have easily been an 11 win season. Which to us seems terrible, but I think we have turned the corner in terms of depth at certain areas, talent, and the coaching. It takes time.

One thing I think some football fans get caught up in-(me included). Is looking at a class of rookies…and thinking they ALL will project as good NFL players. If Bill hit on EVERY pick this year, it will be the first AND last time its ever been done. Basically’ what im saying is out of the substantle picks they had this year(McCourty,Gronkowski,Spikes,Cunningham,Price, and Hernandez)-history says that not only some not make an impact this year, but some NEVER will. As a Pats fan, and a draft fanatic, I couldn’t be more excited about seeing the rookies contribute this year…But you just never know how a player will make the jump to the NFL, even the guys making the big-bucks cant.

I don’t think any Coach will ever hit on every pick. But I tell you what our last draft makes me think that he could hit on atleast more than one or two guys. Not all the holes were addressed but I feel like some of them were, ILB-TE-3WR-OLB, now whether they turn out time will only tell but I like our chances.

Well, I suspected that the Safties Coach last year was garbage, and on BostonGlobe chatter, Shalize said that she had heard that too. I think Corwin Brown has a new safties coach will help out tremendously. I also think a TE coach, that can instill his ideas into younger players will also help out the team a lot as well. That being said I agree, I personally feel like this year will be a lot better year for the team and the players. That is my feeling, I read just about everything I can every day on the Pats., the hype the feeling and the insight this year as opposed to last are completley different. While everyone is worried about a Pass Rush and RB, I’m not to be honest, I think they will be just fine. I think this draft hit a lot of wholes, TE being the main one. Last year was a limited ability for the coaches to be creative: Fred Taylor was out, and we did not have a solid TE anywhere, and our DB’s were young and new to the system. Just wait I say, the best is yet to come and maybe it won’t, but I guess I would not call myself a Patriots fan if I did not believe and hope for the best.

I certainly don’t disagree that the old coaches were working with far better talent… But we have been losing a lot on adjustments, or lack there of.

I personally feel that the 2004 team was better than the 2007 team – and had more talent all around.

But I still feel, like the players are lacking, that the coaching and ability to coach-up the talent is completely lacking as well. Proof, 2001. We (err, they =) had no business winning that Super Bowl, they played well beyond the talent level on the team… they were completely coached up.

I would like to respectfully disagree. The personel during that era was outstanding, it sucks to say but we got rid of a lot of good players in the past few years. It will take a few years to get back on board, but do not count these coaches out yet. I think there is a lot to come. Espcially now that we have a couple capable TE’s to help in the redzone, where I thought we struggled the most. It will be nice to have options this year.

Personally, I like the TE coach and the Safeties coach, it will be nice to have more attention given to such important areas.